Screen Queen TV Reviews: Margo’s Got Money Troubles, Euphoria, The Audacity & Beef

Margo’s Got Money Troubles

Wednesday, streaming on Apple TV Plus

Margo’s got money troubles. What a coincidence — I’ve got them too! You probably do as well. Heck, the whole damn world is struggling right now — no wonder this show, about a young single mum struggling to make ends meet, is striking such a chord.

This eight-part series is based on the 2024 novel by Rufi Thorpe, and is all about a young first-year uni student who gets knocked up courtesy of her literature professor.

She ends up going to extraordinary lengths to support herself, cosplaying and “performing” via the adult site Only Fans.

Sounds ick, right?

It’s not — it’s actually full of heart, and hilarious, and sports one of the best A-list casts we’ve seen in a long time. We’re talking Elle Fanning (as Margo), Nick Offerman (her ex-drug addict wrestler dad), Michelle Pfeiffer (last seen prowling the prairies of the Madison River Valley, now dressed to the nines as Margo’s hot mum, Shayanne), Greg Kinneer (Shayanne’s religious boyfriend) and Nicole Kidman — is there a TV series she’s NOT in right now? She’s Margo’s lawyer in this.

With this kind of pedigree, you might expect this to be some kind of gritty dramedy; a deep and nuanced exploration of a family in economic freefall, grappling to stay afloat.

Nah — it’s nothing like that. It’s sharp, and funny, and irreverent, and an absolute delight to binge-watch, painting a unique portrait of a “creative” industry not normally seen in this way on the small screen.

When you find out it’s from the genius mind of David E. Kelley, the man behind TV mega-hits like Ally McBeal and Big Little Lies, all the pieces start to fall into place.

This show is precisely what we need to be watching in these troubled times. Which is good when you think about it, because most of us are going to be spending a LOT more time on the couch in the coming months — we’re going to need something good to watch!

Euphoria

Monday, streaming on HBO Max

I have to admit, I’ve got a fair bit of trepidation about this final season. For a start, it’s taken four years to make it to screens, with creator Sam Levinson tinkering significantly with the story in that time, implementing a time jump so the show’s school-aged protagonists are now significantly older.

It also doesn’t help that Levinson’s last show, The Idol, was an absolute plonker.

Still, I’m travelling hopefully, mostly because Euphoria’s first two seasons were solid, launching the careers of Jacob Elordi, Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, and Sydney Sweeney, all of whom are returning for this last season.

Let’s all cross our fingers, shall we?

I’ll keep you posted on my verdict.

The Audacity

Wednesday, 9.30pm, SBS

Jonathan Glatzer, the man responsible for the biting satire and superb writing in shows like Succession, Better Call Saul and Bad Sisters is behind this series, which is all about a Silicon Valley tech CEO and those who orbit his world. Early buzz is strong, and its already been renewed for season two.

Beef

Thursday, Streaming on Netflix

This series originally starred Ali Wong and Steven Yeun. This time around there’s a new cast and a whole new beef. I’m intrigued to find out which petty grievance will drive the plot along this time around. With Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan front and centre, you know it’s going to be good.

A Gorilla Story: Told By David Attenborough

Friday, streaming on Netflix

David Attenborough is returning to the story of Pablo, a gorilla he first met in 1978 in the mountains of Rwanda. My Octopus Teacher’s James Reed is aboard to direct. He’s finding out what’s happened to the mighty silverback male in the years since they first crossed paths — and shut up, I’m not crying YOU’RE crying.